Improvement in power-looms



UNITED STATES PATENT 0rEIcE.

VILLIAM H. CHEETHAM, JR.. OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IWIPROVEM ENT IN POWER-LOOMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 23,446, dated April 5, 1859.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known th at I, WILLIAM H. CHEETHAM, Jr., of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Power-Looms for Weaving Carpets or other Fabrics which Require theUse of Several Shuttles; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming partof this specification, in which-- Figure lis a plan view of the'frame, the lay, and driving-shafts of a loom, with the mechanism for changing the shuttles on one side of the loom. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectiomparallel with the side of the loom, of the mechanism for changing' the shuttles on that side. Fig. 3 is a side view of one of the cams and aportion of the mechanism which cannot be well shown in Fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

My invention has for its object to provide for the use in a power-loom of as many shuttles as may be required for any pattern, and the bringing of the several shuttles into 0peration in proper succession by automatic mechanism without using more than two or three shuttle-boxes (according to the number of plies in the fabric to be produced) on each side of the loom,and thereby to get rid of the difficulties which attend the lifting of the enormous weight of a large number of shuttleboxes and shuttles in making the necessary changes of the shuttles and of the inconvenience which arises from the necessity of keeping so great a weight swinging back and forth in the operation of the loom, and thus to enable the loom to be driven at a greater speed than is practicable where a large number of rising and falling shuttle-boxesare used.

To enable others skilled in the art to Inake and use my invention,I will proceed to describe its construction 'and operation.

A A represent the side frames of the po`werloom, connected and stayed bythe usual stays a a.

B is the driving-shaft, geared in the usual manner by gears b c with the cam-shaft C, and connected vwith the lay D by cranks B B and rods E E in the usual manner. The lay does not carry the shuttle-boxes; but the but as the system of shuttle-boxes on the` opposite side of the loom is the same, and the apparatus employed in combination therewith so nearly the same that a few remarks will serve to explain the diiference,I have considered it unnecessary to represent the boxes and apparatus on both sides.

H is a stationary frame arranged outside of -and parallel with the right-hand side frame A of the loom, and braced thereto to assist in supporting the shuttle-boxes and )apparatus operating in combina-tion therewith on that side of the loom.

F F are the shuttle-boxes, two in number,

arranged one above the other, and permanently connected together7 and G G is the vibrating frame which carries tli'em, thesaid frame vibrating on journals or centers CZ d, arranged in bearings in the frames A and I-I in line with the axis of vibration of the lay, and the shuttle-boxes being fitted to slide up and down in ways within the said frame, so that the bottom of either can be brought to the level of the raceway j. The said frame G G, which may beV called the shuttle-box frame, has a shorter vibratory motion than the lay, moving back with the lay so far that the back of the shuttle-box, which is on a level with the raceway, ranges with the face.

of the reed when the lay-is in its most backward position, and advancing along with the lay, but, instead of moving so far forward only moving about half-way, andthen becoming stationary. shuttle-box frame G G is produced by a grooved cam I on the end of the driving-shaft B, the said cam being grooved, as shown at g f FiO. 2 to receive a in n'o'ectinfr from f J5 E 7 7 one side of a rod J, which is connected with the said vibrating frame, and which is guided by being provided with a slot e, which works The said movement of the on the extremity of the shaft B. The shuttlc-box` frame has attached to it the pickerstat K, which may be operated, through the agency of any well-known mechanism, by a carn on the shaft'C. The mechanism for raising and lowering; the shuttle-boxes F F in their frame to'bring either one to the level of the shuttle-race will be presently explained.

L is what I call the shuttle-frame, which constitutes the principal feature of my invention, its dutybeing to contain the shuttles which are not in operation. This shuttleframe, whichoccupies a central position in front ofthe shuttle-box frame G, is provided with an upper bed h and a lower bed i, (see Fig. 2,) each of a width` equal to the length of the shuttles, and of a length sufficient to contain as large a number of shuttles as may be desirable, arranged one before the other and close together. The shuttle-boxes are caused by the swinging of the frame G to advance so close to the fronts of the beds hz' which are respectively opposite them, that the shuttles may be pushed from the beds into the boxes, and vice versa.

The shuttle-frame L is provided at its sides with tongues la k, which are itted to guides t in the frames A I-I, for the purpose of permitting it to be raised and lowered to bring either b'ed h or t' to a level with the raceway 7'. The shuttles l Z are represented in Figs. l and 2, tinted in dierent colors.

Close in front of the shuttle-frame L is a single shuttle-box M, which is iitted to slide up and down on guides in an upright stationary plate N, secured between the frames A H. This shuttle-box is open toward the shuttlefralne L, so that It-he shuttles may be pushed from the shuttle-frame L into the said box or from the saidbox into the shuttle-frame, and the vertical movement provided for it is for the purpose of bringing it on a level with either bed h or i of the shuttle-frame L. l

m m and n n are what I term pushers for pushing the shuttles from the frame L into the shuttle-boxes F F', said pushers consisting of pins, all of the same length, attached to a plate O and fitted to slide horizontally through holes in .the before-mentioned stationary guide-plate N. The plate O is also provided .with holes itted to stationary horizontal guide-rods o, secured to the plate N.

The pushers m m, of which there may be two 'box Fwhen the said box M and bed h are on 'a level with the said upper box F, but

' while the lower box F is on a level with the raceway The pushers n n, of which there may be also two or more, are at such an elevation that in moving back they wouldl push a shuttle from the box M onto the lower bed i, and thus push back all the shuttles on the said bed and push the hindmost one into the lower box F', when the box M' and bed t are on a level with the said lower box F', while the upper box F is on a level with the raceway j. Holes are provided in the box M for the pushers m m and n n to work through. pp are pushers like m m and n n, two or more in number, attached to a plate P, which slides on horizontal guide-rodsq q, attached to the back of the shuttle -box frame G, the said pushers also being litte'd to work through guidesin the back of ih'e frame G, and being at such an elevation as to push forward a shuttle from either of the shuttle-boxes F or 5F', which may be on a level with the raceway .onto the bed h or t', which may be on the `saine level.

I have now described all the apparatus'. em-

ployed'in effecting the changes of the shuttles with the exception of the mere driving appa- `ratus, the description of which I consider it better, for the explanation of my invention, to reserve till I have described the operation of `the more essential parts, whose construction, 1r arrangement, and mode of application I have above described. The shuttles are arranged ilower tiers on the beds hd'of the frame, either in the direction shown in the arrows in Fig. -2 or in the reverse direction. Iwill suppose, for illustration, that the succession is in the ldirection of the-arrows. The frame' L must `rin that case remain stationary with its upper lshuttle-bed on a level with the raceway, in which condition .it is represented in Fig. 2; but the raceway is concealed in that figure by the shuttle-box F'.- The shuttle to be thrown out must be brought into the upperA shuttle-box F, which must remainon a level with the raceway and upper bed h of the shuttle-frame while the change is effected. The front box M must also be on a level with the upperl bed h. The change takes place during the stoppage of the shuttle-box frame G and While the lay completes kits forward movement. The tirst movement, in making the change is the simultaneous forward movement of the back pushers p p and backward movement of the frontpushers m m n n, the formerto push the shuttle out of the upper box F onto the bed h and the pushers n n to push back all the shuttles in the lower tier one into the front box M, which after receiving it drops down to `the level of the lower bed ft', after which the pushers m m n n move back for those fn. n to push the shuttle from the said box M on thelower bed vt'. After the pushers n n have been withdrawn from the box M the said `box and all the pushers remain stationary till another change is to be effected, when the same operations are repeated. The whole series of shuttles may be changed in succession, being severallydelivered from the shuttle-boxes F into the upper tier in the frame L, from thence to the box M, by and from which they are delivered into the lower tier, and from thence back again to the shuttle-box F. The change from the box F to that F, and vice versa, is effected, in a manner well known to weavers, by the rise and fall of said boxes. The order of succession of the whole or of any number of the shuttles may be reversed by merely elevating the shuttle-frame L to bring its lower bed c' and tier of shuttles on a level with the raccway, and it is only for this purpose that any movement of the shuttle-frame is provided for, and in many looms the said frame might be made quite stationary. Then the shuttleframe is thus elevated,` the box M requires a corresponding degree of elevation, and the boxes F F require, before the change is effected, to be raised to bring the lower one F on a level with the raceway. The pushers m m, which were before inoperative, are then caused to operate in place of n n to push the shuttles from the upper tier on the frame L into the upper box F, and the pushers p p push the shuttles from the lower box F into the upper tier on the frame L. rThe box M in that case receives the shuttles from the lower and delivers them into the upper tier.

It will be readily understood that by the use of the shuttle-frame L an almost indefinite number of shuttles might be used, the only limit to the number being the length of the said frame. It will be also understood that this frame, being almost always statioir ary, constitutes no obstacle to the rapid motion of the loom, which will run very lightly, as the only parts of the above-described mechanism that are in anything like constant motion are the shuttle-boxes F F and their frame G, which do not require to be heavily constructed.

I will now proceed to describe the driving` apparatus for working the change motion, the whole of which is operated by a series of live peripheral cams R R R2 R3 R4, turning loosely upon the shaft C, the said cams being severally operated at the proper intervals by the action upon a series of ratchet-wheels r r, attached one to each cam of a series of pawls s s, all of which are attached to a frame S, arranged to vibrate on the shaft C. The frame S is caused to rise and fall once during every beat of the lay by the action of a cam T on the main shaft B upon a roller u, attached to one of two arms U U', which are secured to a rockshaft U, which works in bearings in the frames A H, the said frame S being suspended from the said arms U U by rods S S. The

forked rod l.

sented to the rollers 5. :depressions of both these cams are at the the bottoms of the depressions.

ratchet-wheels yr r have severally applied. tothem stop-pawls ti t'. The pawls s s are all so controlled by the Jacquard machine as to be kept out of gear until the proper times for performing the several operations necessary to effect the changes of theshuttles, and' then respectively allowed to fallinto gear, so that'` they may be made to operate on the ratchetlwheels of their respective cams by the before- 'described action of the cam T on the frame S. Each ratchet-Wheel has eight teeth, andis moved one-eighth of a revolution every time the ratchet acts upon it.

The raising and lowering of the shuttle boxes F F is effected by the action of the middle cam R2-the form of which is perfectly representedin Fig. 2 in dotted outline--upon a roller x, attached to a lever V, of the third order, whose fulcrum is a stationary bar fw, and which is connected with the boxes F F by a forked rod V. The said cam has four similar rounded equidistant projections with corresponding intermediate depressions, so that ,one movement brings a projection into operation on the roller to raise the boxes, and

the next brings a depression un der the roller,

and thus permits the descent of the boxes.

Two cams are employed to effect t-he raising and lowering of the box M-viz., that R next the outer frame A and the next one R- lboth of said cams operating on a pair of roll- ,ers z, attached to one extremity of the same `lever X of the firstorder, working on a stationary fulcrum y, the opposite end of said lever being connected with the said box bya Each ot' the cams R R has four similar cquidistant projections and four Acorresponding intermediate depressions, as y shown in Fig. 2.

The movements of these cams by their respective pawls cause a proj ection and a depression to be alternately pre- The bottoms of the same distance from their centers; but the :projections on the cam'R have double the height of those of the cam R, measured from Then the rollers ,z ,e are in the depressions of the cams,

fthe box M is lowered to the lowest of the three operative positions in which it has been described; but the projections of the cam R raise it to a level with the raceway, and those of the cam R to the highest of its three operative positions. y

The operations of all the pushers are 4effected by the cam R4, which is shown in Fig. `3, the said cam having eight equidistant projections and corresponding intermediate depressions in its periphery, four of the projec` tions being higher than the other four, and

the higher and lower ones alternating all round the cam. The said cam operates on the front pushers m mn @t through the agency of a rod Y and a lever Y of the third order, the said lever Y working on afulcrum 5, attached to an arm `6, which vibrates to a limited extent on one of the stays a of the causes the pushers m m n n to be moved suddenly back and as suddenly withdrawn. The movements of the back pushers p p are derived from the mechanism which operates the front ones, being effected by the connection ot' their plate P with the upper end of alcver.

11 of the iirst order, which works on a fulcrum 12, held by the arm 13 of a rock-shaft 14, attached to the back of the vibrating shuttle-box frame G, the said lever having its lower end connected with a rod 15, which is slotted to receive a pin 16 on the lever Y. The said pin 16 has so much play in the slot 17 in the said rod 15 that the back pushers p p are not operated till the front ones have moved some distance, the object of which is to permit the pushers m m and n n to make the short movement necessary to push the shuttle from the box M, as hereinbefore described, Without producing any movement of the pushers p p. The less prominent projections of the cam R4 produce this movement of the pusher-s m m ot n; but the more prominenty ones produce the longer movement of the saidpushers necessary to push forward the whole upper or lower tier of shuttles in the frame L, Y

and cause the back one in such tier to enter 'the box F or F', which movement is accompanied by the advance of the pushers p p, produced by the pin 16 operating against the rear end of the slot 17, to push out the shuttle from the other box F orF and push back the Whole of the shuttles in the other tier and force the foremost one into the box M. It should be recollected, however, that the longer movement of the pushers m 'm n n, accompanied by that of p p, always precedes the shorter movement. The pushers p jp are drawn back by a spring 21 applied to the rod 15.

The raising and lowering of the shuttleframe is effected by means of the cam R3, which is shown in dotted outline in Fig. 2, the said cam having four similar equidistant projections and `four corresponding intermediate depressions in its periphery. The said against the periphery of the cam. While the frame L is at the elevation represented in the drawings the roller 22 is at the bottom of one of the depressions in the cam; but an eighth part of a revolution of the cam produced .by a single operation of the respective pawl and lratchet is suflicient .to raise the said frame L to the more elevated position hereinbetore described. The loom will require a similar frame L and a similar system of shuttle-boxes F, F and M on the opposite or left side, with similar or suitable mechanism for operating them in a similar manner; but on the left side the arrangement of the pushers will have to be reversed, the double set requiring to be applied in connection with the boxes F F',

and thesingle set in connection with the box M, for the reason that on the left side the shuttles will have to be pushed out ot' the box F or F into the frame L on a level with the raceway, while on the right side they are pushed from the frame L into the box F or F on thesame level.

To adaptv the invention to looms for Weaving three-ply, three boxes in place of the two F or F', will be required on each side of the loom, and a properly-constructed cam or system of cams or other mechanism will have to be employed on each side of the loom for raising and lowering such shuttle-boxes to permit either to be broughtto a level with the raceway; but the frame L and all the other mechanism employed on each side of the loom for weaving two-ply will serve for weaving three-ply.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The employment, tol contain the shuttles which are inoperative, of a frame L, which is constructed to hold the said shuttles arranged in` proper order in two tiers, and is applied in such a manner in front of either or each set of shuttle-boxes of the loom as to be capable of receiving in one tier the shuttles which are required to be thrown out of operation, and of supplying from the other tier the proper shuttles to take their places, substantially as herein described.

2. The box M, applied and operating in -combination with the shuttle-frame L, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified. v

3. rllhe pushers m m, 'n n, and p @appliedand operating in combination with the shuttle frame and box M, substantially as and for the purpose herein described. 

